Coming To Terms
by GirlinTheCafe
Summary: Peyton finds comfort in the arms of Nathan's uncle Cooper. inspired by&named after the 'Carolina Liar' song
1. Running To Stand Still

**_A/N: Hey hey everybody. I am Veronique (GirlinTheCafe) but most of you probably know that already. Why this author's note? First, this is a new story so ... got some explaining to do._**

**_For everyone who hasn't read anything of me, there's something you need to know. I am from Belgium, from the Flanders, so I speak Dutch in daily life and English is only a language I learn in school (and this year for the 4th year already). So I know it's full of mistakes and grammar and tenses are a horrible mess. Forgive me, I am trying my best for all of you. That brings me to another point. If someone feels like being a beta-reader for this story ... let me know._**

**_Also, I don't know the first thing about rathings, I know M-rated means mostly smutt, so if after reading this, someone can give me what the best type of rathing would be, let me know... _**

**_So like I mentioned before, this is a new story. Totally new from me. It's my first fanfiction writing for another couple than Lucas Scott&Peyton Sawyer, so I'm still gettting used to it. I actually started writing this a month ago, one night/morning it just flew into my head and I always had a special thing for the thought of Peyton&Cooper. And since I don't think there are many stories about them, I am more as happy to write one. _**

**_Even I don't know what I am doing, I told myself: Veronique, it's school again, you have two stories in progress, you have various ideas for one-shots, you promised someone a special one-shot before summer break was over, and you didn't make it (Sorry Petra, that one-shot is going to be your birthday present, I promise baby girl. I know I am bad since I promised you I would write it for your grades, and that was in June, and now it's going to be your birthday present and your birthday is in January...I am selfish, again I am sorry) and I am trying to start up a writing project beside my fanfiction work, so I told myself I would slow my fanfiction work down. Which like you all see, isn't happening ... (I even have another idea for a cross over story in mind, but that's going to have to wait)_**

**_What you need to know about this story:_**

**_Title: Coming To Terms (inspired by&named after the amazing 'Carolina Liar' song, and all the One Tree Hill-fans know it from the season 6 promo) & Pairing:_** **Peyton&Nathan (Pathan), Peyton&Cooper (Ceyton, sorry, don't know a better name for it, if you have better one let me know) & Season:_ before season 1, so no Leyton&Naley&Brucas-vibes in here, sorry (or not for now at least) & What else you need to know: I don't have any idea when the next update will be, I don't actually know what will come after this, I just needed to get this out of my system (I actually was working on a new chapter for 'Chicago Is So Two Years Ago' but knew it wouldn't be finished today and editted, but it's probably up here in another week. But I just wanted to give you something, and since this was begging for attention...) If you have ideas, you also can let me know, I am open for anything._**

**_I am sorry for the awefully long author's note, I would totally understand that you would have skipped it or would close the window after my dragging ... but hopefully you don't, I hope this is worth reading. (Lol, it's more A/N than chapter in here ...)_**

**_Much love, Veronique _**

**Running To Stand Still**

"I hate you!" A vague but sharp cry sheared through Cooper's ears as a welcoming message when he opened the front door of his sister's house.

He wasn't surprised. This wasn't the first time he was greeted this way in this home, probably not even the last.

Cooper Lee barely visited his sister in Tree Hill, but every time he was there, he had been a witness of a fight between his sister's son Nathan Scott and his girlfriend Peyton Sawyer.

Even Nathan was his favourite nephew, he couldn't agree with the way the young boy lived. He was so arrogant and egoistic and so going into the wrong direction. But who's fault was that? You can guess three times.

1)Dan

2)'Son of a Bitch'

3)Scott

Yep, totally right.

Cooper always found it hard to explain why Nathan was his favourite nephew when the only thing the kid did was behave badly. But Cooper saw something in Nathan, a whole other personality than his bad boy one trapped between his bones. His uncle saw in Nathan a great friend, a loving man, a caring father. He saw it all. If you only gave Nathan Royal Scott the chance to develop himself into that precious man he could be. The world would be a better pace than it was today.

But unfortunately Nathan was still this jerk who hurt his beautiful girlfriend Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer.

There was something about Peyton Sawyer that Cooper liked.

Something about the curly blonde attracted him.

Was it her slender and nicely developed body? It was feminine but still a little rough around the edges. But there was no doubt that she would grow for pretty teenager into a gorgeous woman.

Or her rebellious blonde curls? So soft and wild.

Were it her hazel eyes that were like a window into her soul? The ink black pupils embraced by light brown which was embraced by pale green?

Were it her deep pink lips that were forced into many different forms when she spoke?

Or was it her face, the mixture of beautiful and broken? It was like a broken frame of a family photo. Happy but fake, secrets just behind a thin layer.

It definitely was her face above everything else.

But not only her looks got him but her personality did something to him too.

She was dirty-mouthed in more than one way he had noticed. And he liked that in a girl. Hell he did. It turned him on. Like that one time he had stopped by Nathan's door to ask him something and he had heard noises inside. Unmistakable noises of two teenagers playing it dirty.

But beside that she was also kind in her own way and very amusing.

Yes, Peyton Sawyer was a girl Cooper Lee would fall in love with if he was younger, or she was older. He had already wondered a few times why she wasn't. Why wasn't there a girl like her that had his age? Than he would do everything to let his bachelor life behind. He would spend a whole lifetime to unravel her mystery. For a girl like Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, he would do anything. Everything.

But what was he thinking? First, the girl was only sixteen and he was like almost twice her age. Second, there was this unwritten rule about uncles fantasizing about their nephew's propriety. Or at least that's the way how Nathan always treated her. He handled her the same way than he did with his propriety, cold and not caring if it got broken.

But this thought were innocent right? He fantasised about every pretty face that he came across. About how it would with that girl or that woman. How it was to 'play family'. Being a bachelor had so many benefits but it ever had to stop. The way he lived couldn't last forever, he was well aware of that.

The advantages would grow into disadvantages once he would pass this certain point. But when would he come across that point? One day it still seemed another lifetime away, when he looked into mirror admiring his youthful face, his blue eyes never so alive. But another day it threatened to knock on his door when that same face began to show the first signs of old age and the same pair of blue eyes seemed to lose their sparkle.

The truth was he was afraid of every sign that told him he was nearing that certain moment. Their was so much energy in his body. In his head he felt like a twenty-one year old. Like a boy that just had lost the chains of the law and was ready to discover the world. All this places his still had to see, all this people he still had to meet … What if he couldn't give that up? What if he could never settle down?

He was so deeply lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice he stood at the beginning of the stairs. But he soon noticed when a certain blonde came rushing down followed by her heavy sobs.

Blinded by her bitter tears she pumped into the strong figure of Cooper.

"Ow!" Escaped his mouth by the sudden force of her shuddering against his chest. The exclamation that followed out of Peyton's mouth was a lot less innocent.

"Are you okay?" Cooper asked while gently taking a hold of her arms in reflex. No verbal response followed, only the jerking of her arms to get herself free from his grip. "Peyton?" Another yanking movement and her arm was free. With her eyes on the floor she rushed out of the door.

Normally he would have let her go. Ignoring their son's/nephew's/grandson's screw ups for everything beside basketball was very familiar in the Scott family. But something inside of Cooper snapped. He just couldn't let her go. The feeling was being amplified by the fact that water was whirling against the windows. Wind was whistling through the dark air. When he had come in minutes before, it had been already raining a little outside, but the pounding noise against the glass told him it was almost storming now.

He rushed after her, seeing how she furiously tried to get her car door to open but it didn't obey. Her various curses were smothered by the rain that clanked against the ground.

"Peyton!" He yelled but the strength of his voice was smashed down by the rain. He yelled for the second time, much louder this time. Peyton must have heard him. Her shoulder shrugged in an uncomfortable way. She simply was ignoring him and Cooper wasn't someone who let that happen, not under any circumstance.

Not caring if he got soaked too, he flew through the cold rain.

"Peyton?!" Blindly he grabbed her arm, causing the young girl to jump lightly from the surprise. Again she fought his grip but this time he didn't tolerate her fighting back. Determined to make her listen to him, he picked her up, not caring about her screaming and punching and kicking.

"What the fuck Cooper?!" She screamed when he had putted her down on the solid floor of the Scott's house hallway again.

"Looks like some young lady has a dirty mouth." Cooper said on a stern tone.

"Who the fuck cares anyway? Just let me go home." She said when his hand still rested atop of her soaked jacket.

"Peyton, I am not letting you drive." He simply said, making her go from angry to furious.

"Why not?" She snapped, her hazel eyes turned surprisingly dark.

"First. I didn't you notice it's storming out there? If you didn't, you're cloths did. Second, you're upset." He said, his other hand finding a place on her other arm.

"I am not upset!" She screamed irritated by the fact he didn't leave her alone. But Cooper could see something break inside her sad eyes when her voice died.

"What happened upstairs with Nathan, Peyton?" He softly asked. And out of the blue the girl began to sob, tears running over her pale cheeks, ruining her make up fully.

"Come here." He swayed his left arm around her fragile shoulders and guided her to the downstairs guest room where he currently stayed.

She heard his voice tell her to make herself comfortable through her sobs. Uncomfortable she sat down on the bed, shivering when the cold of her wet cloths hit her. In the meantime Cooper closed the door behind them and unconsciously locked it too. Reflex, even he was alone in the house since Dan and Deb were out and Nathan would probably assume Peyton was away.

"Poor girl." He said while walking over to her. "You must be freezing." He whispered when he cowered down in front of her. "Let me get you some nice dry cloths." And before she could even protest he disappeared to the adjacent guest bathroom.

"Here." He threw a big, soft, grey towel to her. Still uncomfortable with the situation, Peyton began to unzip her wet jacket. Luckily for her, the green tee with a big V-neck underneath it was barely wet. Even through she felt very bare because of the fact it didn't leave that much to Cooper's imagination anymore. But Cooper didn't leave anything to her imagination at all when he decided to strip himself from his sweater and his black wife beater rode up enough to see his six pack. For some sort of reason her vision wasn't blurred by tears anymore. Maybe they had damped because for some reason the temperature of the air had heated up …

"Put this on." In his big hands, Cooper held a black hoodie. "I don't want you to catch a cold." A heart-warming smile followed. His voice sounded as comforting as the warmth that the hoodie brought her.

"Thanks." She shyly whispered, intensely happy with the fact she could hide her bareness from his eyes. Suddenly she wondered why she always wore such revealing cloths. Why she wore tops and tees that only covered until a belly button, showed a nice look into her cleavage, revealed more skin than anyone actually should see at some places. Her skirts were so short that she shouldn't bend down, only if she wanted to give a peep show for anyone in her near proximity.

Was it because she had no mother or father to tell her, her clothing style was inappropriate for a sixteen year old girl? Or did she just like to be bold? Maybe because Brooke wore even more revealing cloths and both girls always shopped together? Because the cloths turned Nathan on?

She was so lost in her various thought that she didn't her the creaking noises of the mattress when Cooper went to sit down beside her in silence.

He had to catch his breath, the girl was more beautiful than he had realised. He had never got to chance to see her from this close and pay attention. Her profile was simply amazing, the soft curves of her cheeks and chin.

Without he even wanted it, his senses were seduced to feel her the soft skin of her face. Peyton snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the older man with wide eyes. She didn't know what to do, how to react, how to feel for a moment until Cooper's words stole her attention away from her mixing feelings.

"Why were you and Nathan fighting?" He asked the blonde teenager again. He immediately regretted it when he saw her hazel eyes get teary. She sniffed and the first tear escaped.

"You can tell me Peyton. I won't tell anyone." His voice sounded sugar sweet. Cooper took the opportunity to gently tuck a wild curl behind her ear.

Her feeling began to fight. Should she really tell her boyfriend's uncle what they had been fighting about? She would rather tell Brooke, but she wouldn't understand. Maybe he would, since he was older, and at this moment, he was the nicest person on earth.

"He-he." She began, stumbling. "He wanted to tape us-" She got stuck again when the sobbing came back. "He wanted to tape us having sex." She managed to bring out.

Cooper didn't know how to react. The children were only sixteen, what was going on in that head of his nephew? He was too young for this, she was too young for this, they were much too young for any of this kind of 'games' at all?

"He called me a whore because I didn't want to." She cried and clenched her hands full with dark grey tee he had put on earlier.

"Peyton." His voice overflowed her. "You're not a whore." It soaked her.

"He said I looked like one and acted like one too." She mumbled in chest.

"Peyton Sawyer." Cooper forced her to look at him by gently taking a hold of her chin. "Don't ever believe you are." He whispered to her while whipping her tears away with his thumb. "You're simply beautiful."

His voice drowned her.

Her noise tickled when she breathed in his scent, his chest was like a biggest pillow. And suddenly it was away.

Confused she looked up and found him filling two glasses.

"Drink up." He said and handed her one of the tumblers. She carefully took a sip.

"What's that?" She said after making an ugly face because of the strong taste that flooded her taste.

"Tequila. And don't say you don't drink alcohol. We both know better than that." Cooper said.

"Cheers." He said.

"Cheers." She followed before their glasses met for a moment.

After one tumbler followed number two and number two turned into three.

She felt how her eyelids got so heavy, she couldn't do anything else than close them when her ears were filled with the comforting words that rolled from his sensual lips and the excited, steady beating of his heart. The last thing she saw was a look in Cooper's eyes filled with an element of a feeling worth fighting for. A feeling Peyton hoped that one day, Nathan or someone else hopefully would desire for her.


	2. On Almost Any Sunday Morning

**_A/N: First, a big thanks to the ones who reviewed, I love you for it. I hope this chapter is going to be good because I personally have a bad feeling about it. My writing went really bad these last two weeks and I had to push it out so I hope I didn't damage it in the meantime. I know it's messy and full of mistakes but it's already 10:00 pm over here and I have_ _school tomorrow and I am too tired to re-read. Forgive me. Anyone who wants to be my beta-reader let me kow ... The next story that will be updated is 'Chicago is So Two Years Ago' Much love, Veronique_**

**On Almost Any Sunday Morning, She Prays For The Great Escape**

The first sensation she felt when she woke up was pain.

A vague, throbbing pain in the back of her head. Dazed she tried to get up but her arms felt like jell-o once she tried to put her weight on it. She slide down against the mattress again. The softness and warmth of it were so inviting. Her eyes contently fluttered closed while she turned herself on her side, she was ready to leave for the drowsy land of her dreams when she suddenly became aware of the presence beside her.

A solid presence. A warm presence. A presence which lingered in a strong but pleasant odour. A presence that breathed softly but strongly in and out.

Her hazel eyes shot open.

The solid, warm presence was a man.

She tried to think, taking everything in that surrounded her. Her memories were hazy. Just like … she woke up after she had gotten drunk.

And this wasn't Nathan's room, and the presence sleeping beside her certainly wasn't Nathan either.

He was too tall, too muscular, too full-grown to be Nathan Scott at all. And she suddenly felt very bare by the realisation. Her hands travelled over her own body in slight panic. She didn't know what hit her when her hands travelled over her breast which definitely weren't trapped in bra like they should have been if she recalled the last memory of the night before. The pace of her heart picked up when her hands travelled further southwards and she in shock realised that also her skirt was gone and the only thing that was covering up her lady-business were her briefs.

She shot up in shock, now fully awake. The mattress bounced slightly by her sudden movement.

"Good morning Peyton." The unmistakable voice of Cooper embraced her. And she suddenly felt like dying.

Her head was throbbing and her memory darkly clouded. She could feel a blush creep from her head to her toes. Her cheeks burned and her tiny hands tried as best as they could to hide anything of her bare skin. Her wide hazel eyes searching through the room for her missing cloths. And she found them, her leather jacket, tartan printed skirt and leopard printed bra hung messily over a chair. Her high heels next to the door.

Wait! She just couldn't have had …

"I just took the garments of, I thought you would be able to sleep more comfortable without them." Cooper interrupted her thinking that was pretty much playing all over her face.

A sentiment of relief hit her, she knew what alcohol could do with her. It had been the cause of some not so pretty events and actions since she met Nathan Royal Scott.

But wait again! They might have not, what Peyton assumed that they would have done, but that didn't decrease the embarrassing fact he had kind of undressed her.

She flushed in a deeper shade of red, from vermillion to Amaranth.

Again Cooper interrupted her thoughts. "I have been a true gentleman. I promise you, I didn't even glance." He added serious.

It wasn't like he didn't want to look at her beautiful body. He had been having a hard time to convince himself not to even peek. Her body attracted him already when it was wrapped in cloths, he didn't even dare to visualise the effect it would have on him when it was shed from any article of clothing. He probably just might lose the control.

Cooper told himself that it was very inappropriate. What was he thinking anyway? She was Peyton Sawyer aka he's nephew's girlfriend aka only sixteen years old aka very hot for someone her age. Okay, maybe he should scratch the last one.

There was no chance left for him to say anything more anyway because Peyton jumped from the bed like she had just seen a spider and in a swift movement she grabbed her jacket, skirt and bra from the chair and stepped into her high heels and her free hand flew to the doorknob. She stepped forward, assuming the door would open, but it didn't and she simply walked against it.

A nasty expression escaped her far from virgin lips. Cooper shot up from the bed to help her, to make sure she hadn't hurt herself but again he didn't get the chance. In a surprising swift tempo she managed to unlock the door, open it and rush into the hallway.

Cooper decided not to follow her again. The look in her window alike eyes had been alarmed. The feeling that look invoked in him was pretty much the answer to why he should stop thinking about her the way he had been doing this past hours. She was still kid compared to him. And looking at his sister, it almost could have been his kid.

That kid was now rushing through the hallway. She had just wiggled into her skirt and was busy with stuffing her bra into the pocket of her leather jacket when she suddenly became aware of the coldness underneath her foot sole. Her gaze fell upon her feet, and one of them was missing a shoe.

With the curses she already had put out since she was awake, she would sure get a one way ticket to hell when the time was right. Peyton turned around and hobbled of into the direction she had just came from. She found her shoe a few steps away from Cooper's door.

The blonde prayed to the same person who was going to put her to hell, to wait for another five minutes, so she would get the shoe and disappear without anyone noticing. She needed to go home. Home. Home, her lonely four walls. And rather quick. She found unable to face anyone at the moment. She couldn't get caught by Dan or Deb, sneaking out. Cooper just couldn't come after her, if it wasn't embarrassing enough she had cried out on his shoulder, she had to wake up next to him barely clothed.

And her wish was granted, she putted her high heel on and had almost reached the front door when it suddenly swung open.

The sunlight of an early Sunday morning was raising against his back, the sweat that shone on his face was like the dew. His muscles embraced by a light tan. The composition of his face was almost stolen from Michelangelo's 'David'. With the beauty and grace of a demigod, Nathan Royal Scott graced the doorway.

For the slightest moment he looked shocked or surprised, but it lasted only a fraction of second so Peyton could not define it. But soon his mouth was framed into a typical smirk that was almost a trademark for the Superstar Basketball Hero of Tree Hill High.

"Looks like someone is willing to make up for last night." His boyish voice, that had the same allure as someone would have who ruled the world, blew around the hallway. For as far Nathan knew, he ruled the world. The world of Tree Hill High.

Peyton saw her last hope for an escape crumble in front of her. She was trapped, and it would probably remain until the evening would sneak in and she had to go home. No escape would be able until then.

Trapped in more than one way when Nathan walked up to her. His presence, the determined look in his cool blue eyes invoked a stirring feelings indie of her. It made her feel suddenly empty and tired. Her body backed away automatically from him. She knew she was fighting the inevitable. The realisation made her even more exhausted.

Eventually her back hit the wall of the Scott residence hallway. "I knew you would come to your senses." He whispered hotly against her neck. "You're a good girl." He managed to husk out before his lips attacked the precious skin of her neck and his hand grabbed around for dear life. Peyton's body stiffened by his actions. His grabbing hands moved from her waist to her breast while his lips found hers. She didn't want to get engaged in this kiss. Because she knew her body would be unable to respond and if she didn't respond Nathan would ask question and if Nathan would ask questions …

Gladly for her, his lips broke away from her when his fingers became aware of the lack of underwear of his girlfriend.

"A very good girl." He groaned out when his fingers traced the outlines of her breasts. "Looks like someone is looking forward to the making up as I do." He groaned out. It was easy to pretend for Peyton that 'someone' was represented by his little love soldier that was poking in her leg.

Not that love was even in the picture here, not from his side at least, she dared believe. Maybe, she loved him, strangely enough.

"Nathan, Peyton. You two are awake already." His mother's voice swept around the hallway. Deb came down the stairs, wearing only her sleeping gown and a thin bathrobe. If Peyton had learned one thing since she slept over at the Scott's, that they weren't prude people, especially Deb. She was aware of how great her body still was, could you blame her for wanting to show. And at this moment, she was Peyton's guarding angel. In less than a second the brunette boy broke away from her.

"I guess we can have brunch early today." Deb said smiling as she came down the stairs and pressed a kiss to her son's forehead.

Peyton was now trapped in more ways than only one. Not only trapped by Nathan and his bedroom expectations. Also in the meantime with his parents and their occasionally two hours brunch on Sunday. Peyton managed to glance at her watch. Make it three hours today. And she hated that she hadn't any escape opportunities.

Five minutes later she was with her feet underneath the table and delicious food was on her plate. And always at this exact same moment of the week, on Sunday mornings filled with company, conversations, delicious food in a cosy atmosphere, Peyton felt like escaping it. To escape everything she hadn't had at home, just because she didn't have them there. She had no company, because the only company she could have was miles and miles away from her, so she had no conversations except the ones with her inner self. She had no good food, she just ate whatever she came across, she had no interest in it and her house wasn't a cosy atmosphere. Only a cold and lonely four walls that had let go of the home trademark after her mother died.

But to be honest, the only thing that was enjoyable on the brunches with Dan, Deb and Nathan Scott was the food. Because the label cosy was only on the inside, it was superficial. And the conversations between the earlier mentioned company always ended up having the same subject. Basketball.

She always wished in those moment, there would be a magical escape. A great escape from this all.

Peyton even rather preferred to be at home, in her bed with a big piece of strawberry pie and extra layer whipped cream atop of it, listening to loud music trying to avoid the conversations with her inner self.

Her second best escape.

Here she couldn't avoid these since she was shut out the conversations anyway. The only good thing about Sunday mornings by the Scott's were the mornings where she was horny and her hands played dirty games underneath the tablecloth.

She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping this would be over soon. That for once time would fly instead of drag. But unfortunately for her, there was another dragging factor about to be added.

"Good morning." A warm masculine voice rose up. Her head turned in a matter of a second. There he stood, Cooper Lee in all his glory. With his perfect body and charming smile. For a moment she fell herself falling into him. But that moment ended soon when took place on the empty chair beside of him. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt herself blush from head to toe.

Whoever was up there. He was screwing her over so badly. Did she really need punishment for getting drunk and without being undressed, without her permission or knowing, by Cooper? Did she need punishment for having found a crying shoulder? Wasn't there even a hint of an escape?

"How was your night Cooper?" Deb asked her brother.

A piece of Peyton's croissant got stuck in her throat, causing her to burst into coughing. Did she mention punishment already. For all dear Gods up there, she was pleading …

"I went to bed early." His only answer came.

Her prays were heard. Slowly she turned her head and caught him staring at her. Her hazel eyes shot him a shy but thankful glance. A man of his word. She loved men of his kind, and she had met far to little of them.

Maybe this wasn't going to be this awkward at all. Maybe she didn't have to feel like she was sitting on needles. Maybe she didn't have to feel like something was going to eat her alive. Maybe he was nice.

A sudden burst of warmth exploded when she felt a rough hand on her knee. His hand, she realised at the way it gently was hold there. Cooper's hand.

But suddenly there was another hand on her other knee too. And that hand wasn't that rough but it was travelling up her leg. It ended up tugging her panties. Nathan's hand.

Suddenly the noise of a text message coming in interrupted everything and everyone's activities.

It was Dan's, his eyes flew across the screen and than his mouth opened to speak.

"There's a problem at the dealership. I have to go. Deb, do you come with me?" The blonde nodded.

Nathan's fingers played with the edge of her panties. Abruptly Peyton jerked her legs away from his side, knocking into the table with her knee, surprising Cooper. She quickly shot him an apologising look.

"We have to take off." Deb said politely and stood up. Dan followed her example. Nathan saw his chance for an advanced make up session. He shot his girlfriend a horny look and licked his lips.

"I am going to shower." He said nonchalantly. But it was a secret message to Peyton: let's go fuck in the bathroom. Now there defiantly wasn't an escape possibility anymore.

He left, and as soon he was out of the room, she let the breath she had been holding since the start of this go. Her frame sunk into the chair, her head fell in her hands.

"Are you okay?" He softly asked, his hand fell to her shoulder. She mumbled something inaudible. "Peyton?" He rubbed gentle circles of her tense back.

"Thank you." She whispered. "For not telling them."

"No thanks. I promised you." He said with his warm smile.

Peyton got up.

"Where are you going?" He asked slightly confused.

"I am going 'to meet' my boyfriend." She brought out sadly, exhaustion clear in her voice.

For a moment or two, there was silence.

"Let's escape." He suddenly said.

"What?"

"Let's escape. You clearly don't want to be here." He also got up.

And there was hope in her eyes. He took her slender hand in his big one and gently dragged her out of the house and towards her car.

Who could have ever thought that Cooper Lee would be 'her great escape'?


	3. Navigate Me, Speed Me Up T Slow Me Down

A/N: Okay, long time, yes, I am horrible. I haven't betaed this chapter at all, considering at how late it is here so, I hope it's not to bad. Plus I am not really feeling good about the chapter, but the story is leading a life on its own and I can't bring myself to fight it. I am still searching for a beta for this story, so if anyone feels like it's something for them, let me know. Next chapter is for 'Chicago Is So Two Years Ago', and I'll try to hurry up, try. Maybe I'll throw in a one shot first, I'll see.

Love,

Veronique

**Navigate Me, Speed Me Up To Slow Me Down**

"Where are we going?" Peyton asked while Cooper guided her towards her Mercury car. His big rough hand still captured her soft one. Hers seemed to drown in his. Like his hand was as big as the sun and hers was just the moon.

"Wherever you want to go." He answered strongly, self-assured in a not arrogant way.

Peyton hesitated for a moment. Somewhere in her mind, she felt very uncomfortable with this. He was Cooper Lee, Nathan's uncle Coop which meant the man was her ever to be mother in law's younger brother. She had just spend the night in one bed with him, and she had gotten drunk with him and the most terrifying and embarrassing fact, he had partly undressed her. Even through he had promised her he hadn't taken a look, she somewhere couldn't believe he wouldn't have stolen a tiny glance through. God, she could feel herself turn tomato red again. How could she ever be in his proximity again?

"Let's ride with this baby." He said, petting the roof of her car.

Maybe like that?

Cautiously she took a few steps towards her car and the handsome man leaning casually against her car. Maybe she should turn around, run inside like she was chased by Headless Horseman and hide with Nathan in the shower. Make up sex with Nathan was always great. At least for the first round, when he would pay the most attention on her, make sure she felt good, that she felt _really_ good. But from the second round that would surely follow since Dan and Deb were out of the house. Dan Scott was known for his commitment to his dealership, he wouldn't leave if anything wasn't perfect, just like his son, he wouldn't leave him alone until he did what was expected perfectly.

But with the amount of rounds they would do increase, the less attention would be there for her and it would eventually be all about what he liked, to get his mind soothed, to get all the frustration out. He used her like a rag doll and she just let him.

She snapped back from her thought, and suddenly, Cooper looked even more than Michael Angelo's 'David' than Nathan had looked earlier today. Cooper was more mature; of course, he was not for nothing 'categorised' as an adult man by society. But his body, so full grown, not like Nathan. Cooper looked like his muscles were from steel or any other hard material, not like Nathan's muscles that had finally started to outline a bit. She died to know which sensation would occupy her when her fingertips would trace the deep lines of his six pack instead of the vague lines of Nathan's. For the slightest moment she buried her teeth into her lower lip by the flash of her doing what she had just imagined seconds before.

"Peyton." His voice shook her awake from her only fragments long fantasy. His tone slightly urgent, knowing his nephew would come search for the blonde when he was close to getting blue balls.

Swiftly she moved forward, founding herself surprised when Cooper had opened the car door for her.

"Thanks." The whisper merely audible. The smile on his face could only be described as a 'charm smile'. Within' seconds he was in the car too.

Her hand trembled when she turned the key in the contact causing her car to spur underneath her and as soon as the feeling of the leather of the steering wheel beneath she calmed down a bit. Her subtle perfume occupying the car reminded her of herself. She closed her eyes for the briefest moment, taking the odour further in. Peyton Sawyer didn't get like a shy baby girl because someone might have seen her naked, how would she else survive in the car with Nathan? The times excluding as it functioned for a 'quickie' place.

With determination she pressed her high heels upon the accelerator pedal, biting mentally through the pain that her foot was experiencing. She made herself a mental note, or better actually, a mental reminder to just leave a pair of Converse in the car even through Nathan's complains and sharp remarks that could leave his lips that on other times could be so sensual.

In a few seconds her mind had filled with inner thoughts screaming against one another. Forming chaos over Nathan and Cooper. She scoffed herself. Damn it. Why couldn't she just … just not think about them? Probably because Nathan pretty much at this very same moment was wondering why his fuck buddy wasn't showing up in the bathroom and Cooper was sitting next to her and through the silence she could hear him breathe with long inhales of oxygen.

Toughen up Sawyer! Her inner voice screamed as a last warning to get a grip. She just needed to clear her head. What was the best option for clearing her head again?

Music.

Preferably something hard. Something she could scream on … like … like

Faint from Linkin Park.

Definitely 'Faint' would do the trick.

The car slowed down a bit while she turned on the radio with her right hand after she had picked up the CD from somewhere behind her.

As soon as the first shrill sounds of the song filled the care Peyton felt something tear open inside of her. Her heartbeat struggled into same frantic rhythm as the music. She drew in a few measured breathe before the first words coated in the singer's voice kicked in. Rather quietly she mumbled the words of the first verve.

Cooper could barely hear her when she muttered 'I am a little bit of loneliness' but her voice grew slightly stronger and by the end of the first verse and 'But I'll be here 'cause you want what I've got' left her mouth.

Her voice grew into a strong noise when she hit the chorus. Cooper couldn't help but let his gaze land on her when she set in the second verse.

She looked so intense. Her eyes only seeing the road on which the car moved further and further away from the Scott residence. Her ears only hearing the rage of the music. Her voice filling every possible gap with its low tone. She wouldn't exactly win American Idol with the voice of hers, but if Linkin Park would opt for a female singer, she could beat some serious competition. And the last thing Cooper took in, the peach skin of her concentrated face.

He honestly couldn't help himself when he let his big eyes travel lower to her neck and than to her cleavage that looked so damn tempting. He still wondered where he had mustered the power yesterday not to peek at her beautiful body features. The cream skin had been so inviting, the globes were a very interesting invitation to paradise with his name written on it.

Okay, stop right here and right now! His mind screamed at him. She's only sixteen. Sixteen years old! She's your nephew's girlfriend and not your pretty fuck fantasy. You are practically a stranger to her. A stranger who dragged her back inside, who forced her to tell what was going on, who undressed her and who shared the bed with her and now told her to escape with him. Get a life and stop wondering if she would drive you with as much determination as her car.

At that moment he made a deal with himself, to stop thinking about her and just consider her how she was, nothing more nothing less. She was just a girl that needed some mental support and not physical. Just an innocent, confused, little girl.

He found himself grow surprisingly sad with the realisation she portrayed the people who listened to such songs so perfectly. He felt truly sorry for her, that she had to be a girl that could portray them, that her life had made her somehow who chose for those angst songs to relate.

The landscape of Tree Hill rushed him by while Cooper tried to focus on anything other than the girl beside him. The scenery stopped rushing as the car slowly started to slow down until it was brought standstill on a driveway.

A house with a coat of red brick and accessible by a white front door fleeted into his vision. It looked so full with details since the last time he saw it. Actually the only other time he had seen it. It was one Saturday evening after a basketball game. Dan and Deb had attended the game but had taken off just afterward because they were excepted on a party, leaving Nathan alone by his uncle who had happened to visit the same weekend. Sadly, maybe, Nathan had preferred the company of his girlfriend for the rest of the night instead of the one of his uncle. Cooper had felt a string of hurt for a moment but when he had noticed the not so subtle pump under his nephew's track pants. Cooper only had to blink with his eyes and he could remember how much of a horny teenager he had been. And if his nephew would engage in rather intimate activities with his girl, he could engage in same intimate activities if he decided to scan his phonebook. He wouldn't leave this opportunity of having the whole house of his sister for him alone pass by in loneliness.

She exited the car and mentioned Cooper to stay in it as she went to unlock the garage and came back so she could ride the car inside. For the second time she exited and this time she mentioned that he could follow her.

Follow through the garage, the hallway before climbing the stairs but first he had throw glimpse in the cosy looking living room. He studied the interior with more care than he had ever done in another house. Mostly when he got into other houses, it was rushed and he would only study the wall, floor or a room when he was about to have sex against, on or in it.

The ticking of her heels slowed down when they reached the end of a hallway, nearing window with a thin curtain before it and on the right side was a door.

Something in the look that she threw over her shoulder was anxious and nervous. Cooper just smiled at her, it was so charming that Peyton couldn't help but feel a little warm inside.

She opened the door and a room coated in red walls welcomed them. The first thing Cooper noticed but the red walls were the angry sketches. Than he saw the soft looking bed with colourful sheets.

He stepped in, taking more in. She stood nervously in the middle of her room, waiting for something it seemed.

"It's a nice room Peyton." He realised that sounded really lame, but she seemed to brighten up and she lost some of the nervousness that pressed down on her shoulders.

"So is this your hiding space?" He asked casually, not expecting her answer.

"Oh, wait a sec!" And in less than a second the spot she had been standing was empty and he heard her heels step on the wooden floor before racing over the stairs.

Within' a minute she was back, colliding on Cooper' confused face when she got back in her room again.

"Uh." The uncomfortable sound barely audible. "Well, I just went to lock the doors. Otherwise Nathan would notice I am here." She in some coy way smiled at him. In the back of his mind he heard loud remark of Nathan's girl always expecting him.

"So what was your question again." She said, the nerves growing on her again. "I mean the one before I rushed downstairs." She added quickly. Inside Cooper couldn't help but smile at the girl's sudden insecurity. So she wore a mask to the outside world, obviously.

"So is this were you escape too?" He formulated his question slightly different this time.

"No, not actually this." She answered, making Cooper's eyebrows rise.

"No my escape is this." She walked backwards, straight into a very dark and very filled with records closet.

"Wow." His mouth fell open. Slowly he walked towards him, increasing the effect of the shadows of the tiny chamber gulping him down.

He couldn't help to think she owned more records than an record average shop in town.

The smell of the room was funny, the lights barely there making the shadows darker and more endless. His fingertips tingled when he felt the cardboard brushing against the skin. Occasionally he pulled out a random record, he was amazing by her style. All the classics.

"So what are we going to do?" She was slightly startled from her activities when his warm voice reached up from behind him.

A chocked sound escaped her, she couldn't help herself sometimes, just 'he' gave her goosebumps.

"What were you planning on listening?" He neared her from behind, she could simply feel it. Something just deprived her space.

"I just found a new song from an album that isn't released yet." She noticed her knees wobble underneath her.

"Let me hear it." His warm breath tickled her ear, he felt her quiver underneath him.

_Are you ugly?_

_A liar like me?_

_A user, a lost soul_

_Someone you don't know_

_Money, it's no cure_

_A sickness so pure_

_Are you like me?_

_Are you ugly? _

The singer of the Exies filled the space. And it hurt Cooper, her songs screaming out mere angst.

_We are dirt_

_We are alone_

_You know we're far from sober_

_We are fake_

_We are afraid_

_You know it's far from over_

He wanted it to stop, and he knew how. His arms sneaked up around her waist, gripping her and his fingers finding the exposed strip of skin of her abdomen.

Her first shriek was helpless and surprised but within' seconds actual giggles won her over. It sounded better to his ears than any song ever could.

His hands stopped when they fell down because of her writhing against her. He broke their fall and their heads turned to each other in the same exact moment. Their eyes wide, and lips mere millimetres separated …


End file.
